The Allied Peoples Movement has recorded a sweeping victory in the Bauchi State local government elections, winning all 20 chairmanship positions contested across the state.
The results were announced after the local government elections held on Monday, August 17, 2026, with the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission declaring candidates of the APM winners in all 20 local government areas.
The ruling party also dominated the councillorship contests, securing 319 seats across the state. Only four councillorship positions were won by candidates from other political parties, with the Social Democratic Party, National Rescue Movement, Zenith Labour Party and Young Progressives Party each securing one seat...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
The scale of the APM victory has immediately made the Bauchi election a major political development, particularly because opposition parties had announced their withdrawal from the exercise before voting took place.
The coalition of opposition parties had alleged that the electoral process was designed to favour the ruling party and subsequently called on their supporters to boycott the election. The decision created uncertainty over how competitive the poll would be and raised questions about the legitimacy of an election conducted largely without the participation of major opposition parties.
Despite the boycott, the state electoral commission maintained that the election was conducted independently and that the declared candidates met the requirements for victory by securing the highest number of valid votes in their respective constituencies.
Governor Bala Mohammed had earlier dismissed concerns about the withdrawal of opposition parties, describing the election as peaceful and maintaining that their decision not to participate did not invalidate the process.
The state government had also declared Monday a work free day to enable residents, civil servants and other eligible voters to participate in the local government elections.
The outcome means that the APM will control all 20 local government councils in Bauchi State, giving the party significant political influence at the grassroots level.
However, the overwhelming victory is also expected to fuel further political debate, particularly over the opposition’s decision to boycott the election and the implications of such a move for political competition in the state.
Local government elections are particularly important because elected council officials play a major role in grassroots administration and the delivery of basic services to communities.
With the results now declared, attention is expected to shift towards the new council leadership and whether the elected officials can translate their electoral victories into effective administration at the local level.
The election has therefore produced a clear result for the APM, but the controversy surrounding the process is likely to remain part of the political conversation in Bauchi State as stakeholders assess the implications of the sweeping victory.
